Lately, the hustle and bustle of NYC has me feeling down. I find my mind wandering to the possible destinations life will lead me to this year and this leaves me craving a little getaway so much more. In the mean time, my pictures from past trips will need to keep me energized and excited until the next…

This weekend, we had a very special guest for dinner. My dad (who recently moved out of state) was in town. To welcome him back home, I decided to whip up a very special dinner. I prepared chicken cutlets, a nice big salad, and best of all delicious pasta & meatballs just the way my Grandma used to make! It is times like these that I truly treasure the things that I was able to learn from my family because their insight, recipes and so much more- will live on for generations to come. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

~ Chop up fresh parsley~

~Add parsley to chop meat: I used a blend of beef, veal and pork~

~ Add fresh pecorino romano cheese, salt, pepper and most importantly, eggs- they help to make your meatballs soft and fork-tender- and mix well~

~ Roll the mixture into medium-sized balls~

~ Cook in olive oil until golden brown and add to tomato sauce; let simmer for about 2 hours~

There are so many things to love about NY. From the amazing restaurants and the high energy to the truly unique mix of cultures and best of all, the unexpected. Yesterday, I was craving some farm fresh fruits and veggies and so I dropped by the Farmer’s market in Union Square. It made my day that right in the middle of my busy afternoon, I could drop into a little haven in the middle of NYC. Check out a few of my finds.

Last night, I decided to make something to tame my sweet tooth. These cookies were just the thing! I used whole wheat flour (instead of white) and oats so I felt a little less guilty- but still added some goodies like chocolate chips and some shredded coconut for a kick. I sprinkled some wheat germ and sunflower seeds on top for a sweet and salty treat. And of course, I enjoyed these while they were warm- right out of the oven!

This weekend we managed to squeeze in a bit of family time at my boyfriend’s parents house. As expected, we caught up on the past few weeks while enjoying a-mazing food (courtesy of my boyfriend’s mom), delicious wine, and a bustling fireplace. Escaping to their house gives us the perfect opportunity to leave the city, catch up on some zzz’s and start the new week feeling well-rested and refreshed.

If you are anything like me, you know that going out to eat on Valentine’s Day can be totally overrated. In my experience, I always feel rushed and the pre-fixe menus hardly warrant the inflated V-day prices- but that’s just my opinion. This year, I decided to cook dinner for my love and spend an intimate evening at home with a nice bottle of wine. After all, the way to a guys heart is through his tummy! I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!!

Thursday marked day 1 of Fall 2012 fashion week in NY. From what I’ve seen so far, we should all be excited for the colors, prints, lace and winter whites coming our way later this year. I thought I’d share a few images of the consistent electric blues and oranges appearing across the board from multiple designers.

Last night, we managed to pull off an impromptu date night. With our hectic work schedules and recent obligations to family/friend functions, the weeks were passing us by…I felt it was essential to carve out some time to get out, enjoy a nice dinner and catch up over a glass of wine. For whatever reason, we tend to stick to the places we know on our weekly date nights but last night, we wanted to try something new.
We were pleasantly surprised when we slipped into this little gem on an unassuming corner in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The 4 piece jazz band was in full swing at Moto and we quickly felt as though we were transported to another era while sipping our wine and enjoying the music. It was the perfect little escape.